Schmidt Speaks: Crime & Violence In CPS

Here's another commentary from George Schmidt, entitled "Why is Chicago covering up crime and violence in Chicago's public schools?

"While there was a great deal of hand wringing (and even a summit of sorts by the President of the United States) about school violence after a rash of shootings in schools earlier this fall, most of the problems in Chicago the past month have been covered up."

Click below to read the entire column.

"While there was a great deal of hand wringing (and even a summit of sorts by the President of the United States) about school violence after a rash of shootings in schools, most of the problems in Chicago the past month have been covered up."

 

"Here is a sampling:

"At the September meeting of the Chicago Board of Education, the Board (as
usual, without discussion or debate) passed a resolution approving spending $4
million to purchase police services for six months. Buried in the resolution
(but on the public agenda for anyone to read) was the following admission:
"During the period from January 1, 2006 - June 30, 2006, there were 5,508 physical
arrests in and around schools made, 27,899 student school absentees found, and
20 guns recovered..."

"Less than two years ago, the Tribune was quoting Arne Duncan and hyping a reduction in the number of guns in CPS schools in an article (January 5, 2005) headlined: "School report good gun news..." and noting the fact that in the previous six months (prior to January 5, 2005) only one gun had been recovered in a Chicago public school. Arne Duncan was quoted in January 2005 about how the word was out not to bring guns to schools, but nothing in September or October 2006 about why guns in schools had increased by 2,000 percent since he was quoted earlier about the reduction.

"Partly as a result of the high schools closings and conversions to exclusive charter schools on the west side (Collins, Austin) and South Side (Englewood, Calumet), gang violence continues to increase in the schools -- and be generally covered up by CPS and the Chicago media.

"While the gang outbursts at Marshall and Bogan high schools in September and
early October were in the news (generally, one paragraph in the Metro briefs),
similar problems at Harper (one student killed), Crane (ongoing), Englewood
(Homecoming) and other high schools were covered up. As predicted three years
ago, the closing of high schools like Calumet and Austin sends students to
other schools, with bad results.

"At the October 25 Chicago Board of Education meeting, First Ward Alderman Manny Flores noted that security is still a problem at Wells High School (which was in the news last winter because of the impact of the Austin closing on its gang situation) and at Clemente High School (both in Flores's ward). A parent from Harper High School (6520 S. Wood St.) noted the increasing violence at Harper (where are Rev. Sen. Meeks and Jesse Jackson on this?) partly because of the fragmenting of the Disciples street gang, a faction of which has a major presence within the school itself (including, according to the parent, in school sports). The situation at Harper was brought before the October 25 Chicago Board of Education meeting by Harper parent (and LSC member) Paul Collins.

"Things are, if anything, worse in the elementary schools. While the high schools have Chicago police (paid for by CPS, not out of the Chicago city budget) and some security, the elementary schools have been forced to provide their own security (out of poverty funds in many cases) or do with little or none. Often, if one person is out (or in court), the elementary school is without security.

"At the October 25 meeting of the Chicago Board of Education, a parent
(Terence Gadsden) LSC member from Penn Elementary School (1616 S. Avers) asked the
Board to provide more security for the school because of the problems of local
gangs and drug dealers.

"On October 6, a "parent" entered Melody Elementary School (412 S. Keeler), stole teacher purses from a number of classrooms, used one teacher's car keys to steal the car, drove around the neighborhood and pulled the same scam at two other schools, then abandoned the car a few blocks from where it was stolen. CPS and Chicago police finally put out information after the first day of thefts was over, so when the (dumb) thief tried to run the scam a second time the following Tuesday (October 10) he was caught at Ericson (3600 W. 5th).

"More than two years ago, as I've testified to before the City Council Education Committee, the Chicago Teachers Union predicted the increase in violence and gang problems that would result from the closing of high schools (at that time, Austin and Calumet; since, Englewood and Collins). On June 12, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. (Calumet) and 2:00 p.m. (Austin), I testified on behalf of the Chicago Teachers Union, where I was at the time director of school security and safety. We warned that the closing of Austin and Calumet would result in increased violence at the receiving schools. The same warning could have been issued in 2005, when Englewood was closed, and in 2006, when Collins was closed. Instead, the media generally hailed the closings as necessary "toughness" because the schools were slandered as "failing."

"This school year, the problems of violence are worse and earlier than in the past three years. In many cases, they are the direct result of the disruption of the city's poorest communities by school closings under "Renaissance 2010." The additional pressures on west side elementary schools caused by the closings of Frasier and Morse elementary schools is added to the community pressure caused by the closing of Collins High School. On the south side, the pressures caused by the Calumet and Englewood closings continue to hammer schools as far east as Hyde Park and as far west (now) as Bogan.

"Problems are festering or growing at every general high school on the west and south sides right now. And the cause of the increase in those problems, this year and for the last three school years, has been the school closing and "Renaissance" policies of CPS.

"Since these results were predicted from the beginning of school closings and the transfer of buildings to private charter schools, it's time that someone brought action against CPS when a child is hurt, or worse. CPS was placed on notice about the result of these policies as early as April 2003 (especially regarding the closing of Williams and Dodge schools). CPS has been on notice about the impacts since."

Comments

Mary Mitchell's column in the SunTimes claimed that a roving band of miscreants wearing Bronzeville Military Academy basketball sweatsuits robbed and beat a U of C student for $5. And we worry about their test scores.

I wonder if Schmidt would be writing about this had the board reports re: guns and arrests from September - not been brought to his attention on this blog.

This is a repetition of a previous discussion.

By the way, the Gang book doesn't substantiate claims that most of they incidents that occur in and around school
property are gang related. Very few are.

10:20 Since it was mentioned on the blog did you bother to gather any facts to shed light on the situation like George did? Or did you just sit back and throw stones. Why isn't the media doing investigative reporting and providing information like George is doing?

Is George trying to trash the CPS, answer Yes. Does that raise questions about his objectivity, Yes. Does that mean what he wrote about the problems at general high schools is a lie, no it does not.

In fact any of us who live near some of the high schools he mentioned know what he says is true. I am right now looking out my window at Wells as I write this. In fact Wells is now surrounded by condos and up scale appartments. I would have to say none of us are happy about what we are seeing at Wells, and we are talking not just about the higher income residents.

I really could not believe that Chicago's so called education Mayor would be charging the CPS for police protection, I thought George was full of BS. Then I found the September 27, 2006 Board Report 06-927-PR24 indicating the CPS paid the city of Chicago $4 million for 6 months of police services to schools. In fact the CPS was charged not just for the police on duty at high schools but transportation of arrested students to police stations.

Now maybe our wise Mayor will start charging home owners for arresting captured burglars or banks for stopping robbers. No, that would get in the newspapers, he knows the education reporters are too stupid to look at the CPS Board reports.

This practice seems criminal in itself.

I don't know why Russo feels he has to toot his own horn on the school violence issue. There have been plenty of blogs, websites, community organizations, the two newspapers and even the board itself, talking about the rise in violence caused by Ren10 school closings. Remember Michael Scott beating his breast over some "mistakes" in this area. Problem is, policy isn't changing. Ren10 has become a school-closing, rather than school reform, strategy.

If more cops, cameras, lock-downs, metal detectors, etc... made for more security, prisons would be the safest places around. Are they?

[Marty McGreal]

Covering up violence is one part of the equation. Exposing the dangers teachers and students face everyday in neighborhood schools would expose the system. Keep things the way they are and it’s easier to blame teachers and administrators for lack of performance, making it much easier to shut down schools.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but violence keeps the numbers down in neighborhood schools for CPS. They need to keep a 51% graduation rate otherwise there would be no room for students. While at Gage—not just during the Summer—there were at least three parents a week calling to say they would no longer send their kids to school because of the danger. This is not a conspiracy theory. We asked the CPS administrator in charge of demographics how we could provide a quality education at 130% maximum capacity. He said, “Don’t worry; we are counting on 50% not coming back next year.”

I don’t think they didn’t believe the staff at Gage Park could do a great job, they didn’t want them to.

[Kugler]

Agreed. Hyde Park has close to 900 freshmen. Last June only about 250 graduated. That is worse than Gage %. The theory is have patience the kids will leave, get locked up, or die.I had 29 students in my Carpentry 1 class two years ago, now there are only 5 or 6 who regularly attend the Carpentry 3 class, most have left or dropped out.

As to violence this year no big ones yet, they are shipping them out of the school somehow.

Marty met Tim from Kennedy today, after the delegates meeting.

I remember the first time school violence in CPS was called to the national spotlight during that whole Fenger blog episode last year. Unfortunately, In true controversey-hungry tabloid fashion, the media made "the blogger" the center of attention. Too bad their investigative reporting was so focused on the identity and race of the writer, instead of saying "wow, that's some pretty outrageous stuff that goes on" - if it were all (or even partially) true. They interviewed the principal who said "some" of it was true. (Big surprise there!) Obviously the problems are not new, and neither is someone reporting on them as George did. The question remains as to what's being done.

The police are charging the city to do their jobs, but I still have yet to ever discern what "training" CPS security has. Are they outsourced from some private company? Do they go through the extensive background checks and fingerprinting that some LSC members are now crying about? What really "qualifies" someone to be a security guard in CPS? Some are truly great. Some are not. But there should be performance evaluative guidelines in place and a comprehensive set of training standards for everyone. I know that none of the main office staff in our school know what the AED mounted on the wall is, or how to use it. That's pretty scary - basic emergency action should someone have cardiac arrest isn't even taught. I suppose they'd have to run across the school and ask the nurse or find one of the cops. But to me, that's also a security thing. Security isn't just grabbing bad kids. It's all encompassing, including the general well-being of the school population and property.

Also, what's being done at home? I know my parents raised me to go to school and do what I had to do, with the wisdom to say "sometimes you won't like it, and sometimes the teachers will even be in the wrong. Get through it anyway. Do your time and do a good job of it so that you can have your life and your future. You're not there to screw around." I wasn't a perfect kid, but some of the things that go on in some CPS schools were unheard of in my school.

I'm sure we all know that Chicago Catholic high schools have little, if any security. The difference? You pay for your education, so the parents have a real vested interested in making darn sure their money isn't wasted. Because if you screw up, you're gone. Out. See ya. I bet if CPS parents had to start serving detention alongside their kids, problems would decrease drastically. Or perhaps if their kids were expelled, that would help. Shoot, in Catholic schools, there's nary a "3 day suspension". If you're lucky, you might serve a month's worth of Sat. detentions: 4 hours of manual labor, scrubbing walls, cleaning the grounds, etc. But the second time, you're expelled - and they don't care where you go.

There's a genuine lack of consequences in CPS schools, and that's why security is an issue. No consequences for guards sleeping or gabbing on their cell phones. No consequences for administrators who pretend they don't have problems. No consequences for the violent students. And no consequences for the parents. And furthermore, as far as I know, no rewards either. It would seem to me that if a school can drastically reduce its violent crime, the school should be rewarded. Parents should get a newsletter that says "look, we all know we've had x and y problems, but in the last 3 months, x and y have dramatically decreased at your child's school". Motivate parents to make sure their kid is going to that now safe school. Pat everyone on the back for getting their act together. Reward people, especially the security staff. The only way it will happen is a complete and cooperative gang-up on the bad apples by the genuine kids, parents, and staff that truly desire a safe working school - in practice, not just in a fluffed up image.

Until there's an enforced set of consequences for those whom discipline affects (which is everyone), and maybe even a reward structure, nothing will change.

[A west side elementary school teacher]

I hate to say this, but some of the kids' parents 11:52 is writing about are in prison. We need to be aware of the fact that a significant part of Chicago's black male population at any moment in time is in one form of detention or another. This very sad reality has been commented on by Rev. Jackson many times over the years.

We have a lot of kids who are being raised by members of their extended families, older grand parents, Aunts, etc. I guess I have a problem with a school district putting family members of kids in detention when they actually have been responsible enough to step up to take care of the kids when the parents have disappeared into drugs or jail.

I recall a new teacher who came to the CPS school I was then teaching at and asked her students if they knew what hospital they were born in. One raised her hand and said I know, I was born in state prison. The teacher told me she thought the kid was just trying to mess with her mind. I said I bet not, lets ask the social worker to check her records. We found that she was telling the truth.

I do share 11:52's believe that we must have a "enforced set of consequences for those whom discipline affects (which is everyone), and maybe even a reward structure." But trying to punish parents, grand parents, Aunts, etc. is not going to work.

"Until there's an enforced set of consequences for those whom discipline affects (which is everyone), and maybe even a reward structure, nothing will change."
Sorry: this will not be enough. And as a CPS teacher, I am just too depressed about all this to say anymore. Sorry.

[D.Jefferson]

Plain talk,we need cameras,metal detectors and dedicated school security and police. If the problem is nipped in elementary school maybe when they arrive to high school the students will be more conscious of their actions and view their peers different. Some of our students are searching but if they receive the same response,negative,name calling and living in a sinful home environmet what can we expect? Low self esteem can develope declined grades and aggressive behavior,I'm a witness.